U.S. and Southeast Asian defense leaders meet in Laos to discuss tensions with China over the South China Sea.

Southeast Asian defense leaders are meeting in Laos to address growing maritime tensions with China in the South China Sea. U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin is participating in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) defense ministers' meeting. The U.S. seeks to reassure allies amid the transition to a new presidency, while ASEAN and China aim to finalize a code of conduct by 2026 to manage territorial disputes.

November 20, 2024
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